knowledge

It is always a pleasure to know an author after reading his/her works. For a change, I happened to meet an amazing person who turned out to be an awesome author. During a casual discussion with Nispruha Desai, the topic of hobbies came up and I came to know that she is an author. My curiosity about the book further increased when she mentioned she wrote this book so that she could share her emotions and experiences with her grand children. This was the most brilliant gift I had ever heard about. Seeing my interest, she handed me the Gujarati edition.

The book is written in the form of letters addressed to her grandchildren Parv and Pankti. The book covers varied topics from travels to festivals to environmental hazards to food. The author has travelled widely across the world and this clearly reflects when she mentions about the trips. The cover of the book has been made from photos of her travels. Her immense love for her grandchildren is visible as she connects each letter with one or the other phase of their life like their mischief is connected to storms and hurricanes or their names indicate festivals, etc. The language is very simple and the description is so vivid that the reader is encouraged to look for images. Since each topic is covered in letters, one does not need to continuously follow any sequence. This makes it a great companion for those who love to read while travelling to and from work. Also there is a story in each letter, which makes it a good read to children before sleeping. A lot of knowledge is shared but in a very casual manner.

This was the first children’s non-fiction book I have read and I must admit it was awesome. In fact it is meant for people of all age groups. Personally I felt like going back to my school days, reading books in Gujarati. The reader is motivated to share their experiences through writing. Since the book is nicely written, the only thing I would have preferred was a few images of the places or location in maps. All in all it is one of the best books I have read from new authors. The next time you are planning to buy gift for kids, this is the right choice.